Ep 17: Tales of Silence

On this episode, I Kamayani speak to Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai whose solo exhibition 'Naguftaha-e-Havva' ('The Unspoken Words of Havva') is currently on view at Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai as well as online on the In Touch platform. 

https://www.artintouch.in/exhibitions/13-chatterjee-lal-arshi-irshad-ahmadzai-naguftaha-e-havva-the-unspoken-words-of-havva/ 

We talk about journeying from a small town to a career in the visual arts, the evolution of a distinct figural language, the possibilities of abstraction as an aesthetic mode during a period of repression and Arshi's engagement with time and space in her process-based practice. We also touch upon the use of text as image, the spiritual aspect of art-making, the gendering of material and the abiding influence of Zarina and Nasreen Mohamedi. 

Learn about our guest: 

Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai born in Najibabad, graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts (2011) from Aligarh Muslim University and later pursued a Masters in Fine Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia (2013). She won the Inlaks Fine Art Award in 2019. Working with a range of mediums including painting, printmaking and photography, Ahmadzai’s artistic practice is centred around women. Her knowledge of Urdu, Persian and Arabic allows her to understand the nuances of language, which find their way into her work. She lives and works in Weimar, Germany. 

Click here to access the Image+ Guide & view the material being discussed in the podcast: https://sites.google.com/view/artalaap-podcast-resources/episode-17 

Click here for the time-stamped Contents page: bit.ly/3Ofjmyn

Click here for the English-language transcript: bit.ly/37PeIGT

Credits: 

Producer: Varun Kapahi 

Executive Producer: Kanishka Sharma 

Intern: Priya Thakur 

Images: Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai; Blueprint 12, New Delhi; Shrine Empire, New Delhi. 

Design & artwork: Mohini Mukherjee 

Marketing: Dipalie Mehta 

Additional support: Raghav Sagar, Shalmoli Halder, Arunima Nair, Jayant Parashar. 

Audio courtesy: Vernouillet by Blue Dot Sessions [CC BY-NC 4.0]